The program started with an AWiB Member, Asefach Haileselassie presenting her organization Bezna Training Institute, working on capacity building trainings.…

As there are no public kindergartens in the country, she asked herself how quality early education can provided to the next generation. As she researched, she discovered that this can be done through the media. Along with her husband she started the WIZ kid’s project in her living room. With the support of various volunteers and supporters, they launched the project ‘Tshay Memar Tiwodalech’, which has now been running for nine years. The program now has more than ten million listeners in the radio and is now part of the public elementary school system and was awarded an educational media award in Japan.

Her work is challenging, which she assumes is why it has been difficult to sustain local educational programs in Ethiopia and even the continent. Her vision is to meet the curricular gaps that exist in civic and language education that exist in the Ethiopian school system. Her vision is to develop children that are critical thinkers and shape the next generation. She introduced her new animated series ‘Tibeb Girls’, which is targeted at adolescents in order to unite the next generation of African children, to teach them bravery and give them one identity. The concept of the ‘Tibeb Girls’ arose from the millions of girls that are not going to school and are being subjected to FGM. The project aims to turn young girls from victims to heroes and to be able to empower them as individuals rather than the perception of them as an attachment to something else.

The next speaker, Fitsum Kidanemariam, spoke about her mother and how she got her name, which she loves. Born and raised in Addis, she also spoke about her father, whom she lost at a young age. She talked about a challenging childhood and the strength of her mother, who raised four children and took care of an elderly mother on her own. Fitsum remembers her childhood where, empowered by her mother, she was an active child who tried everything, from sports to singing and public speaking. She says that all four of her ears are always open, both eyes and both ears, she was very attentive in class.

While her Matric grades were not sufficient for a degree course, she attended library science for one year and took Matric exams again the next year. She got the right grades for a degree course but decided to finish her library science course and also started an extension course. At work, she was automatically promoted to procurement head for Addis Ababa University at twenty six years old. She spoke about her ‘can do’ attitude and her drive to always move forward that is the driving force behind her success. She also spoke about her challenges in being a young woman in a position of leadership.

When speaking about challenges in her career related to ethics, she says she believes that she can overcome any challenge because she has faced insurmountable challenges in her life and she has overcome. Driven by her ability as a change maker, she is dedicated to breaking the mold of leadership and having people accept her style as is. She sees leadership development for women as her business. Her utmost favorite thing is to volunteer. Her biggest victories have been to learn from the strong men and women around her, which have shaped her trough out her life. Another victory is her friendships, her network and her AWiB membership. She says she has never quit anything in her life, she loves to learn and nothing can stop her from learning or going to school, the sky is the limit. On her tomb stone, she wants to be written “She has loved truly, thank you for living with me, for those I have wronged, please forgive me and to finish what I have started.”

The final speaker, Metasbia Shewaye Yilma, started by acknowledging her fellow speakers, both of whom she knows from the past, saying how happy she is to be on the stage with them. She told an anecdote about her friend observing that her parents could have raised ten children with the energy and resources it took to raise her. Her parents, who attended the event, are her inspirations to her throughout her life, which is why she known as Metasbia Shewaye Yilma, using both her mothers and fathers name, who have influenced her equally. She describes herself as an inquisitive person, who always asks questions like an inquisitive child.

Her interest in media came from her passion to communicate and travel, which is reflected in the things that she does in her profession and in her life. She said if she did not need money, she would still do her current job, which combines her passion to travel and to learn, then share what she has learned. As the source of her success, she recognized her parents, who taught her to be herself despite acceptance from people, who taught her integrity by demonstrating it in action. She also attributes her success to her curiosity as well and finds she is selective in her relationships now. She constantly self reflects, holding herself accountable.

Motherhood has become her source of inspiration, through her daughter. She shared that her biggest challenge has been not listening to her instincts, sometimes underestimating and overestimating herself. She shared that in her past she has been overly critical of herself but no longer, she relishes celebrating every little victory. In her career she has done so many things to be proud of, being the only Ethiopian on the survivor Africa show which she considers the biggest success in her life. She also is very proud of being able to loose and keep off her weight. Her proudest moment was when she started recommending books on her radio show despite protests. She realized she was following her calling when books she recommended started selling out.

He vision for her country is to have inquisitive and critical and enlightened society no longer living unenlightened. She wants everyone to remember her as someone who has showed her a new way, positively and with a smile and quoted Maya Angelou, “Your legacy is every life you touch”. She said that while often reflecting what she would want written on her tomb stone, she has concluded she does not believe in graves. Having taken up enough space in life, she prefers not to be buried. She would like to donate her organs and be buried in shrouds. She wants a tree planted on her grave, if she must be buried and for the tree to be her representation. She wants to be remembered having lived as she pleased and having died as she pleased.

During the question and answer session the speakers were complimented on their articulation, calling to share their experiences to a wider public. The audience reflected on what they have learned including concentration and the dedication to one task to succeed, to move forward, overcoming adversity. Others reflected on passion, noting that people cannot be productive unless they are happy and passionate about what they do. One of the speakers reflected that on leadership in action, which is what is important about AWiB, first changing the self and then reflecting that change, becoming leaders with no titles and being the change that you want to see, ensuring that women’s voices are represented.

On time management, a speaker reflected that one day is not just eight hours, working for longer, networking, lengthening the day and using to do lists to organize our tasks. Once after finding out the reason one procrastinates it is easy to realize why things run the way they do. The speakers invited everyone to take Time Management Round Table Discussions by Nahu. In conclusion the speakers thanked everyone for the support and energy they have provided by listening. Fitsum paid tribute to her husband for knowing her, encouraging her to keep going for which she is grateful. She also acknowledged AWiB founders for creating a space for women to develop their leadership skills. She invited everyone to look around, there is always an opportunity for growth. The event was concluded thereafter.